On Our Own Terms
by Blastoh
Summary: Prequel to Evolution. Bruce decides to take a leap of faith .. Rated T


The Best is Yet to Come

"Just another rainy night."

Indeed it was.

"It's Gotham, what did you expect."

"Some kind of difference."

"Well, its not like we don't get sun or snow, it's just one of those nights I guess."

He sat up from the bed and looked at her, examined more like. She wouldn't meet his glare, that meant something was wrong.

The usually headstrong and fearless Selina Kyle was MIA tonight.

The woman that sat on the edge of her bed was still Selina Kyle, but tonight she was more...vulnerable.

She looked as if she made a grave mistake, and was desperate to punish herself for it.

She wasn't a woman that acted like she could _ever _be ashamed of herself, but tonight, she finally showed such a thing.

"You should go. Tonight isn't my night I guess."

He huffed and scooted off the bed, his naked, fulfilled body satisfied with tonights activites, regardless of whether she was in the mood now or not, she made it clear that it was all no strings attached, sure a relationship would be nice but that meant he had to care, and after coming off a 2 year relationship himself, he wasn't so sure he had the energy for attachments right now.

"Well, if you ever want to do this again, call me."

She waved him off, and shifted backwards on the bed, sheets still covering her body from being exposed to his sight. He took the hint and got dressed quickly, not sparing her a glance, she needed her time, and he could respect that.

"Yeah, we'll see."

"Uh-huh. See ya."

She nodded and got up to open the door and let him out, she shut the door with great emphasis and locked it.

Tonight...

Not the night at all.

She collapsed in to her bed, got into a fetal position and clutched the covers tight. Selina could hardly remember the guys name, he said it was Frank, or Fred, something like that. A one night stand, phone number on the dressor.

She'd trash it in the morning.

Her back was turned from the direction of the balcony, but she could feel _his _presence. She knew he had just arrived, because whether he knew it or not, the moonlight casted a distorted shadow of the balcony bars, and if looked upon closely, you could see the ears on his cowl.

Bruce wasn't sure why he came, but something in his gut pulled him to her apartment. Tonight he was so lost in Gotham that he ended up _here, _of all places.

Now, he regretted coming.

He shouldn't have felt disappointed, but he did.

He figured since she wasn't out and about tonight looking for him or trouble which were more times often than not at the same location, that she would be here, he was right, she was here.

But that other guy was here too.

She turned over.

Her eyes locked onto the eye covers of his cowl.

He wanted to leave.

To escape.

No need to deal with this, this, frustrating woman that plays so many games that Microsoft should consider making her a franchise.

_She has her own life, and I have a whole city, so let's get going already._

His mind directed his body off the balcony and back in to the night, but his feet protested, his hands complied with his feet and they both conspired to open the glass balcony doors and walk inside.

"You shouldn't be sad."

He was the first to speak.

"You're mad at me."

She knew he was.

"How can you tell."

No really, he wanted to know.

_Damn she is good, a little too good_.

"Because I am too."

Damn.

"You slept with him, your choice, your consequence."

It came off cold, and hard.

The truth, from a bitter lover...

Problem was, they weren't lovers.

Not in the traditional sense.

She turned back over, _fuck you, rub salt in the wound asshole. I don't even know why you're here, or why you care all of a sudden._

"What difference is it to you, you do the same thing he did, fuck me and leave."

"And _you _don't do the same to me?!"

He raised his voiced, now there were two souls in the room that now knew the other cared more than they wished to let on.

She rolled back over and stood up, sheets falling off her beautifully gifted body. His breath caught in his chest from where he stood, still in the damn balcony.

He walked closer, she stood defiant.

"I'm done." She proclaimed.

"With what." He inquired.

"You." She lied.

"No." He commanded.

"Yes." She cajoled.

"For what, because I told you the truth."

"No, because you still refuse to do anything about it!"

"I tried making the commitment, but here you are!"

"You tried?"

"Yes." He growled.

"How? By arguing with me over joining the JLA? Get over yourself, at least I'm "reforming" right?"

"I told you why you shouldn't trust them, they aren't who and what they say they are."

"And who the hell are you supposed to be? You're just some crazy fuck who happens to be too smart and nosy for your own good!"

"I'm fucking Bruce Wayne!"

He flipped back his cowl and let it hang off the back of his head. At that moment it felt like tremors were shaking the small apartment, in his anger, he revealed his deepest secret, and the look on her face summarized both of their current thoughts and feelings.

"You...You.."

"Yes. Me."

He was shocked, he didn't know what he had just done.

"You bastard."

"I know..."

"You fucking bastard, in my face the whole time, those little fancy functions, I knew there was something about you...I just...I couldn't.."

"Thats the point. I need to go...Or something."

"No, stay, you're not walking out on me, nor will I to you. We need to talk."

"Yes...I guess we do." He sat on the edge of a bed he had grown accustomed to having sex in, and now felt disgusted that he was now sitting in the spot where another man had been, even if he may have been there first.

"Well I...I guess you could say I'm willing to try for real this time. But not if this is what the future holds. All this arguing, thats all we ever do, and the sad part about it is, I had never revealed myself to you. You were arguing with a mask, it doesn't even sound right in my head now that I've finally did it but here goes nothing. I seen whoever that guy was leave here, and I didn't have to be here to know what you two did. But the look on your face told me everything, and if you're willing, then I'm willing too. No more masks, no more. You deserve that much from me."

"I made a mistake Bat...Bruce." She had to get used to calling him by his actual name.

"I shouldn't have let that guy in."

"I'm not much of a hero Selina, not as Bruce Wayne, as a person."

"Well you know neither am I."

They looked at each other, as she stared into his eyes, she felt the anger dissipate.

A chance to repent, for tonight's mistake.

And all she had to do was take his hand and offer towards something real, or at least, a start to it.

"I can't make any promises. I'm all screwed up."

"Well, I'm still a crazy fuck that knows a little too much and can't keep his nose out of your business. So I guess you aren't that bad."

A joke.

Ha.

Good timing for it.

She laughed, it was hoarse and choked with emotion, but it was a start to a better mood.

"Are you tired?"

"A little bit, are you?"

"Yes, of you? _No_."

"So you changed your mind, about being done with me?"

"Yes, _Bruce_. I have."

"Well in that case-" he slipped his cowl back on, "would you like to get some rest? With...me?"

She smiled, he was making baby steps, as if he was a 15 year old out on his first date.

But these steps were necessary.

"Sure, in all that armor though?"

"No, I wasn't planning on sleeping here tonight. As you know, Bruce Wayne is a billionaire and has a mansion somewhere out on the hills." He smiled, this was him trying to show Selina that there were levels to the man in front of her, she needed to see another human, one who could feel, laugh, cry, shout, get angry, love, and care, just like any other person can.

Her eyebrow was raised now, she looked at him questioningly, "Are you asking me to stay the night, at _your place._"

"Yes, I am, I want to show you who Bruce Wayne is, and where he lives. It's only right, with me knowing about you and where you live and all. So what do you say?"

It was a leap of faith that he unknowingly took in revealing himself to her. She was after all, linked to that damn Justice League of America which Bruce knew was no doubt headed and funded by A.R.G.U.S. and that damned Amanda Waller, but he knew Selina before any of that, so if this was a leap of faith, then Bruce Wayne was going all in.

"Yes Bruce, I'll go. Let me go get some things, I pack lightly so it won't be long."

A wave of relief flushed over him, these baby steps aren't so bad after all.

"Well then, In that case, look in the alley below us, you'll find me there."

He went in and kissed her, it was soft and careful.

Not rushed, or rough.

There was just enough passion behind it to leave an impression, an after-taste.

She deepened it, she craved it. The unrest and dissatisfaction she felt earlier slipped away, as if she had finally righted her wrongs. This, felt natural, it felt good.

He broke it off, too soon in her opinion.

He smiled and in his usual grace, slipped from her bedside and launched himself off her balcony to the alley below.

Like a giddy schoolgirl that had just found her prom date, Selina giggled to herself feeling like her normal self once again, but at the same time she didn't. In fact, she felt more empowered, more...jolly even.

Okay, not Santa Claus jolly, but in her own cat thiefy sort of way.

If this was the beginning of something beautiful, or something tragic, it should be up to the two of them to figure out exactly where this road will take them. At the end of the day they were two beings in a world full of extraordinary things that refused to be defined or controlled.

So, if this was something that wasn't supposed to be, then so be it. And if it is, then once again, so be it.

It was a risk, and they were two combustible elements.

At least they aren't normal though.

_Cause where's the fun in that? _She smirked.


End file.
